Unwarned Fatal Tornado in Texas This Morning

[Mike Smith]

The issues in the NWS's tornado warning program seem to be accelerating.

Unfortunately, this morning's Texas tornado struck without warning. There were two fatalities.
Fatal Texas Tornado Struck Without Warning

This is the third inadequately warned tornado in two weeks.

Virginia Beach: Virginia Beach EF-3: Another Inadequately Warned Tornado

Palm Beach Gardens: Yesterday's Tornado Warning Failure in Florida

As many of you know, my proposed solution is a National Disaster Review Board modeled after the hugely successful NTSB. If you can email your congresspeople if you support this concept, it would be appreciated. I fear another Joplin is inevitable.

 

[L Marshall]

I spent most of my life in the triad region of north carolina, a massive radar hole with around 1 million people. Those of us who know have been trying for years to get a weather service office between charlotte and winston salem. The GSO office was closed a few decades ago, and there are no local news radars here anymore. The NWS swears their capability in that region is not diminished. I totally disagree. we have had a few missed tornados over the years. A local meteorologist, Brad Panovich, has appeared in a few articles and tried working with a Senator to fix it. yet here we are depending on gsp, blacksburg and raleigh (the closest at 90 miles away)

 

[Mike Smith]

we are depending on gsp, blacksburg and raleigh

I don't know if you are aware but there is a Terminal Doppler Weather Radar near the Charlotte Airport which usually provides better tornado and damaging wind detection than the NWS's WSR-88D's. While it can be more difficult to interpret, it is an excellent radar. While that does not cover the entire "hole," it is helpful.

 

[L Marshall]

The problem is that it does not cover the southern parts of the triad. Salisbury NC, which is small but still has a good sized population has no coverage at all below 10k feet. For the main charlotte metro it is a good option.